Clip assembly for canopy and wall paneling constructions



Jan. 10, 1967 w. c. HEIRICH 3,296,751

CLIP ASSEMBLY FOR CANOPY AND WALL PANELING CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Dec. 28, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WILLIAM C. HEIRICH ATTORNEY,

Jan. 10, 1967 w. c. HEIRICH v 3,

CLIP ASSEMBLY FOR CANOPY AND WALL PANELING CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Dec. 28, 1965 5 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR WILLIAM C. HEIRICH y n zmes Wm ATTORNEY W. C. HEIRICH Jan. 10, 1967 CLIP ASSEMBLY FOR CANOPY AND WALL PANELING CONSTRUCTIONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 28, 1965 INVENTOR WILLIAM c. HEIRICH W FIG. 10

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,296,751 CLIP ASSEMBLY FOR CANOPY AND WALL PANELING CGNSTRUCTIONS William C. Heirich, 2912 Wauhiiah Drive, Muskogee, Okla. 74401 Filed Dec. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 516,886 Claims. (Cl. 5238) The present invention relates generally to canopy and wall paneling constructions and in particular to clip assemblies for suspending Ceilings from canopies as well as attaching sign letters, decorations and the like to outside wall paneling. In each instance, invention is characterized by a novel wedge-like clip construction particularly adapted to be held within the interlocking flanges of adjacently positioned building panels.

With the present widespread use of canopy and marquee constructions in both domestic and commercial fields characterized by light gauge metal panels having interlocking flanges, the use of false ceilings suspended below these constructions has become increasingly important to the industry. suspending false ceilings below canopy constructions necessitates the design of attachment assemblies characterized by:

(1) Low manufacturing cost;

(2) Ease of attachment to the marquee and false ceiling reducing assembly time; and

(3) Sturdy construction insuring capacity to support heavy ceilings.

The modernization of building fronts with the use of wall panels, similar to those used in canopy or marquee constructions and having curvilinear locking flanges, also continues to gain widespread acceptance. However, the ability to display sign letters and other decorations on the modernized store fronts has been somewhat handicapped by the desire not to permanently mar or detract from the appearance and service of panels by drilling holes therethrough and bolting sign letters directly thereto. That is, it is essential that different sign letters and/or decorations be capable of being removed and attached to store fronts from time to time as store changes hands over the years. The present wedge-like clip assembly enables sign letters and decorations to be attached and removed from store fronts, at random. As the novel wedge-like clip does not require permanent fittings or holes in store panels, neither the beauty, strength nor water-proof characteristics of panels are detracted from.

The present wedge-like clip assembly, applicable for suspending ceilings below canopy constructions and attaching sign letters and ornamentation to store fronts, is particularly designed for use with elongated building panels, terminating in curvilinear locking flanges as disclosed in US. application Serial No. 358,024, filed April 7, 1964, and entitled, Canopies, which issued January 4, 1966, as Patent No. 3,226,891. In particular, the present clip assemblies are designed for wedging insertion within the unique locking flanges of applicants panels of either the canopy or wall paneling type of construction.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, economically constructed and easily assembled clip assembly for wedging within the interlocking flanges of adjacent canopy or wall paneling elements for performing such functions as suspending false ceilings, attaching sign letters and ornamentation, and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide hanging means for suspending false ceilings from canopies or marquees consisting of two simple clip members inserted in sliding relationship between the interlocking flanges of adjacent marquee panel elements.

A still further object of the present invention is to pro- 3,295,751 Patented Jan. 10, 1967 vide a hanger clip assembly for inserting within the interlocking flanges of adjacent panels of a canopy to which may be attached simple hanging bars for supporting a false ceiling therebelow.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a clip assembly for inserting within the interlocking flanges of adjacent vertical wall panels enabling sign letters and other decoration to be secured to modernized store fronts without the necessity of permanent attachment.

Yet additional objects of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing specification and attached drawings which illustrate the subject wedge-like clip assemblies employed both for suspending false ceilings from marquees and attaching sign letters and ornamentation to wall paneling construction, wherein:

FIG. 1 is perspective view illustrating a first embodiment hanger clip assembly which is inserted within the interlocking flanges of adjacent marquee panels with a simple hanging bar for supporting a false ceiling;

FIG. 2 is exploded perspective view of the two sliding component parts of the first embodiment hanger clip assembly;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the first embodiment hanger clip assembly;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the first embodiment hanger clip assembly;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the first embodiment hanger clip assembly;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3 illustrating an interlocking dimple arrangement comprising an integral part of the first embodiment hanger clip assembly and used for providing additional support thereto;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the second embodiment clip assembly inserted within the interlocking flanges of adjacent vertical wall panels providing nonpermanent attachment of sign letters and ornamentation to store fronts;

P16. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the two sliding component parts of second embodiment sign letter clip assembly;

FIG. 9 is an end view of the second embodiment clip assembly for attaching sign letters to store front building panels; and

FIG. 10 is an end view of typical ornament provided with alternative arrangement for attaching same to second embodiment clip assembly.

As seen in FIGS. 25, the first embodiment wedgelike hanger clip assembly consists of two component parts 12 and 14 arranged to slide in abutting relationship with respect to each other. In particular, clip component 12 includes vertical wall portion 16 terminating at the top thereof in flange 18 and near the bottom thereof in off-set portion 20. Note that flange 18 includes a forward'curvilinear portion 19 (FIG. 3) designed to complement the curved surfaces of the canopy panel elements as hereinafter described. Also, front edge 22 of flange 18 converges to define a relatively narrow rear edge 24. Located near the middle of vertical wall portion 16 is opening 26 for suspending a hanger bar 50 and also pre eluding relative sliding between component parts 12 and 14 after the hanger clip assembly is secured in place.

Clip component 14 includes a vertical wall portion 28 terminating at the top thereof in flange 30 and near the bottom thereof in off-set portion 32 which includes lip 34 for engaging off-set portion 20 of clip component 12. Located near the middle of vertical wall portion 28 is opening 36 corresponding to opening 26 of clip component 12. As seen in FIG. 4, front edge 38 of flange 30 diverges to define a relatively broad edge 30. As further seen in FIG. 2, flange 30 of clip component 14 includes a rearward curvilinear portion 31 designed to complement the curved surfaces of the panel elements in the same manner as curvilinear portion 19 of clip component 12.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that the construction of clip components 12 and 14 may be simplified still further. For example, the off-set portions 20 and 32 of clip components 12 and 14 respectively may be eliminated thus resulting in downward continuation of vertical portions 16 and 28. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, gussets 42 may be employed to impart additional strength to clip component 12 at the juncture of flange 18 and vertical Wall portion 16. In similar manner, gussets 42 may be employed at the intersection of flange 30 and vertical wall portion 28 of clip component 14.

As further envisioned, a simple interlocking dimple may be employed to add still further strength to the hanger clip assembly and preclude relative movement between clip components 12 and 14, as seen in FIG. 6. In particular, vertical wall portion 28 of clip component 14 is provided with a convex indentation or dimple 44 while vertical wall portion 16 of clip component 12 is provided with a concave surface 46, thus providing a seat for convex dimple 44.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, after sliding clip components 12 and 14 together within interlocking assembly 60 of adjacent panels 62 and 64, curvilinear portion 19 of clip component 12 rests generally in abutting relationship along the complementary surface of interlocking flange 66 of panel 64. In similar manner (not shown), curvilinear portion 31 of clip component 14 rests in abutting relationship against interlocking flange 68 of panel 62. As clip components 12 and 14 slide together, openings 26 and 36 are placed in juxtaposition providing a single opening through which the curvilinear hook portion of hanger bar 50 is inserted. Thus, openings 26 and 36 provide the supporting means for hanger bar 50 and additionally preclude relative sliding between clip components 12 and 14 after assembly of the hanger clip components. Further resistance to relative sliding between clip component parts 12 and 14 is achieved with the use of the interlocking dimple, as previously discussed.

As schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, the hanger bars 50 terminate near the bottom thereof in a hooked portion for attachment to any conventional ceiling 52. Obviously, the hanger bar 50 is presently illustrated merely to promote an understanding of applicants contribution to this art and may be modified in accordance with the numerous ceiling constructions presently being marketed, as desired.

The second embodiment wedge-like clip assembly is illustrated in FIGS. 7-10 in which the two component parts, generally designated by the reference numerals 112 and 114, are arranged to slide in abutting relationship with respect to each other. At one end thereof, components 112 and 114 terminate in flanges 118 and 130 which are generally configured to complement interlocking assembly 160 of adjacent panels 162 and 164, the construction of which is similar to the canopy panels of FIG. 1. In particular, and as seen in detail in FIG. 9, curvilinear portions 119 and 131 of clip components 112 and 114 are designed to complement the interlocking flange surface 163 of panel 162, when wedged within interlocking assembly 160, while the other portions of flanges 118 and 130 rest in abutting relationship against flat surfaces 165 of panel 162. Of course, flanges 118 and 130 are tapered in opposite direction, as seen in FIG. 8.

At their other ends, clip components 112 and 114 terminate in overlying and underlying flanges 170 and 172, respectively, of uniform taper to insure snug fit when assembled (FIG. 7). That is, as components 112 and 114 are slided together edge 174 (FIG. 9) and immediately adjacent surface, of flange 172 rest in abutting relation ship within the curvilinear locking portion 175 of overlying flange 17th Of course, it will now be realized that should panels 162 and 164 move relative to each other after assembly, the Wedge-lock achieved by flanges 170, 172, 118 and 130 of components 112 and 114 will be forced tighter together, insuring even greater locking strength. As seen in FIG. 8, openings 176 may be pr0- vided in components 112 and 114 to enable any convention fastener, such as nut and bolt, to preclude relative -movement between components 112 and 114, if desired.

Alternatively, and as illustrated in FIG. 9, a simple dimple arrangement 177 may be provided in components 112 and 114, similar to that arrangement illustrated in FIG. 6 with reference to the first embodiment hanger clip assembly.

As illustrated in phantom in FIG. 7, sign letter 180 may be attached in any conventional manner to either overlying flange 170 of component part 114 or both flanges 170 and 172 with any conventional fastening means such as bolting assembly 182. As further illustrated in FIG. 10, conventional decorations such as the butterfly type generally designated by reference numeral 184, may contain a curvilinear locking portion 186 designed to accommodate tapered overlying flange 170 of clip component 114. Alternatively, butterfly decoration 184 may simply be bolted or clipped to flanges 170 and 172 of clip component 114, in a manner similar to sign letter 180 of FIG. 7. Obviously, variations in technique of attaching sign letters or decorations clip components 112 and 114 may be employed. The simple bolting arrangement of FIG. 7 and locking construction of FIG. 10 are merely intended as specific examples applicable to the wedgelike clip assembly generally illustrated in FIG. 8.

Manifestly, still further modification of the novel wedgelike clip assembly may be employed without departing from the scope of invention, as defined in the sub-joined claims.

I claim:

1. In a building structure of the type having adjacent elongated panels with side portions terminating in locking flanges, the combination with said panels of a clip assembly, comprising first and second clips including wall portions resting in sliding relationship with respect to each other, said wall portions terminating at each end thereof in first and second flanges, one of said first flanges of said first clip overlying a portion of the other of said first flanges of said first clip enabling said wall portions to slide relative to each other, said second flanges including surfaces generally complementarily configured with respect to selected portions of said locking flanges and wedged within said locking flanges of adjacent panels of said building structure, said clip assembly further being provided with attachment means for securing additional structure thereto.

2. A clip assembly as in claim 1, wherein said first flanges have oppositely sloping sides defining together a parallelogram generally.

3. A clip assembly as in claim 2, wherein said first flanges of said first and second clips are provided with locking means preventing relative movement between said clips after sliding together.

4. A clip assembly as in claim 3, wherein said wall portions of said first and second clips include locking assemblies.

5. A clip assembly as in claim 4, wherein said locking assemblies of said wall portions of said first and second clips are interlocking dimples.

6. A clip assembly as in claim 3, wherein said first flanges are provided with uniform taper to form said locking means.

7. A clip assembly as in claim 3, wherein said wall portions are provided with openings in juxtaposition with respect to each other as said clips are assembled, together with hanger bar means suspended therefrom to form said attachment means for securing additional structure to ture to be snapped in place upon said one of said first said clip assembly and said panels. flanges, as desired.

8. A clip assembly as in claim 3, wherein said additional structure is secured directly to said first flanges of References Cited by the Exammer said first and second clips. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9. A clip assembly as in claim 8, where1n said addr- 2,478,060 8/1949 Spiess X tional structure consists of ornamentation.

10. A clip assembly as in claim 3, wherein said addi- FOREIGN PATENTS tional structure includes a locking flange complementari- 237,687 1962 Australia.

ly configured with respect to said one of said first flanges 10 of said first clip which overlies the other of said first FRANK ABBOTT Plmary Examlze" flanges of said first clip, enabling said additional struc- JOHN E. MURTAGH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BUILDING STRUCTURE OF THE TYPE HAVING ADJACENT ELONGATED PANELS WITH SIDE PORTIONS TERMINATING IN LOCKING FLANGES, THE COMBINATION WITH SAID PANELS OF A CLIP ASSEMBLY, COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND CLIPS INCLUDING WALL PORTIONS RESTING IN SLIDING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, SAID WALL PORTIONS TERMINATING AT EACH END THEREOF IN FIRST AND SECOND FLANGES, ONE OF SAID FIRST FLANGES OF SAID FIRST CLIP OVERLYING A PORTION OF THE OTHER OF SAID FIRST FLANGES OF SAID FIRST CLIP ENABLING SAID WALL PORTIONS TO SLIDE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID SECOND FLANGES INCLUDING SURFACES GENERALLY COMPLEMENTARILY CONFIGURED WITH RESPECT TO SELECTED PORTIONS OF SAID LOCKING FLANGES AND WEDGED WITHIN SAID LOCKING FLANGES OF ADJACENT PANELS OF SAID BUILDING STRUCTURE, SAID CLIP ASSEMBLY FURTHER BEING PROVIDED WITH ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR SECURING ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE THERETO. 